Courts Denied A Recent Trump Immigration Policy

The Trump administration’s plan to crack down on immigration policies has hit a roadblock on Friday as courts denied a recent Trump immigration policy to withhold green cards from low-income immigrants. Federal judges in New York, California, and Washington state ordered a temporary block on the “public charge” rule, which would negatively affect immigrants with legal residency who receive federal assistance like Medicaid or others most likely to register for them in the future.

The “Public Charge” Policy

Commonly viewed as a tactic to refuse poor immigrants entry into the United States, the rule has been a moniker of Trump’s immigration policies and was put to an immediate stop in just one single day in three corners of the country. As claimed by lawsuits filed in 21 states and the District of Columbia, the new regulations – which were to take effect October 15, 2019 – discriminate against low-income immigrants from developing countries and challenges the welfare of families with children who may be discouraged from using nutritional, health, and other public programs. ^[1]

On August 14^th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the regulations and further defined what a “public charge” entails. Immigrants considered as a “public charge” will have more difficulty becoming a green card holder if they already receive benefits like Medicaid, food stamps, or housing assistance.

An estimated 1.2 million applicants, mainly from Africa and Latin America, would be affected annually by these new standards, including half a million already residing in the U.S. ^[1] However, not included in these statistics are millions of family members and other associates who can potentially be affected.

The United States has a long history of welcoming immigrants from developing nations who have been looking for a better way of life, and the new rule will radically change how immigrants are admitted into the country. Immigrants that are wealthier and better educated, most likely those from first world European countries, will not be affected.

Border Wall Construction Setback

The Trump administration encountered another legal setback the same day in El Paso, Texas.  The separate court ruling was issued against the border wall matter by Judge David Briones of the Federal District Court in the Western District of Texas. Judge Briones concluded that it was unlawful of President Trump to declare a national emergency along the Mexican border back in February. He further stated that Trump’s plan to spend $3.6 billion of Pentagon money on the construction of a barrier along the country’s southwestern border is unlawful as well.

Acquiring public assistance as a low-income immigrant is a big step in starting a new life in the United States, and such policies will make doing so that much harder. Though courts denied a recent Trump immigration policy, immigration laws aren’t showing any sign that they’ll be more lenient, so it’s important to have an immigration bond company such as US Immigration Bonds by your side.

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